Hey all, hope everybody had a great weekend.

I was having some skin issues and I just got fed up with the whole reasoning, "you need to gain weight, you're just tiny". After going to the doctor (my wound care surgeon) 4 or 5 times to make sure this one "spot" was not turning into a pressure sore, I finally asked him to put me on some type of medication to help me gain weight!

At this time, I wasn't even sure if this type of medication existed, I knew they had medications to lose weight, but I never heard of anything to help someone gain weight. Of course, he asked 101 questions of why I wasn't gaining weight. "How many times do I eat a day, do I just not have an appetite, have I ever had issues before my injury, eating disorder problems" all validated questions. My problem is I just get bored with my food. I'll have two bites of something and then I want something different.

Its not a eating disorder type thing, although I have had issues before my accident, looking back at that it was more about control (my opinion). I simply would just not eat if I was depressed. So my surgeon put me on a medication called megace I was wondering if anybody has ever heard or tried this before?

The first week, first day actually, taking it I noticed a huge increase in my appetite. I ate 2 10 piece chicken McNugget meals (fries included) and that I was just for lunch. I have cut back on the fast food and I actually stopped drinking caffeine. I can't get enough of orange juice! There have been some side effects, sometimes my heart flutter/palpitations which really scared me, fatigue, and the biggest problem of all... frequent urination!

I went back to the doctor to make sure this medicine wasn't going to make me have a heart attack or mess up the one kidney that I have... he looked into it and the side effects I'm experiencing are normal but he suggested that I cut back on the dosages. I now take it once a week. The fatigue has slowed down and I'm no longer experiencing the heart fluttering... still having issues with peeing and going in between caths. This only happens when I'm in bed. When I'm in my chair I just can feel when I need to go and quite frankly is becoming more of a pain. I know it's probably exercising my bladder and the sensation is becoming more intense of when I need to go. So I guess I really shouldn't be complaining.

The good news is, I have gained weight, I now have the "quad belly" and you can definitely tell the difference in my face. I'm kind of having issues with it though... maybe this is where the eating disorder comes in. I never really noticed that I was gaining weight until I looked at pictures. I thought to myself "why is my face so swollen??" Then I realized my face was not swollen, I just gained weight. I'm happy about it but I'm also getting used to the "new" me.

I know I may seem silly even bringing this up... but I am kind of struggling and nobody else really seems to understand. All my friends & family say I look great and I don't look so "sick" (didn't know I looked "sick")... I don't know, maybe it's just me, I'm still taking the medicine either way because I no longer have skin issues and my arms are not popping out of socket anymore.

So that's it for now... just venting... thanks for listening!

getting used to a rounder face is no fun. my face and stomach are the first to gain. ugh. but i hope everything works out for you.

HI TA,

My late wife was on Megace for her cancer. She didn't gain weight but was always hungry and made toast in the middle of the night. She kept me awake munching toast half the night....... Not really!!

I suppose all drugs are used for different conditions. Once upon a time we only took Asprin for headaches, now people take it to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

I've never had a stroke... My PA keeps well away from me...

Good luck TA xx

Ugh Is right! I've been doing Quad Situps! But I usually fall asleep LOL. Everything is working out...As long as all the skin breakdown stops From being so boney Then a Round face It is! :-)

LOL scrIb...If I don't watch it I'll stay up all Night starving I have to make sure I take it Right when I wake up!

Honestly the frequent urination is what is my biggest pet peeve with this stuff right now! Did your late wife have issues with that when taking it??

Mmmmm Toast sounds good all of a sudden

Oh I updated my picture on my profile so you guys could see my new swollen face LOL.

Quad situps? Tell me more.

I have an incomplete injury and I simply tighten the muscle and let go... I will raise my head/neck/shoulders as far as I can to where it looks like I'm doing a situp. I also do it when I'm laying on my side. Exercises I learned to do when I was in physical therapy. :-) I call it a Quad situp because it's not a complete situp LOL.

I will have to give those a shot. I would kill to have my pre sci tummy back!!

Oh after my accident and I was going to therapy all time... my abs ROCKED! Once you get the hang of it, you can even have someone hold your arms so that you work out more muscles, you're actually pulling yourself up, they just hold you in that spot and then you tighten again. I eventually got all the way up when someone held my arms.

I MISS THERAPY!

No way! So just because those muscles don't work fully doesn't mean I have to have a pot belly?? If so, you totally just made my day!

If you have muscle movement... exercise them and they will become stronger and you can get rid of your potbelly...

Hi TA,

I just checked your new profile pic; you sure look different, but still cute...

I cant remember if Megace made my wife pee more; I didn't keep count.. She probably went eveytime she got up to make toast..

xxx

Yay!!! I'm super super excited. Goodbye potbelly; hello flat tummy.

Yep-- I look "Healthy" LOL.

If I ate toast every time I Peed I guess I should break out the Bread maker! LOL!



I have been working on it a lot lately, last nightI didn't even fall asleep, progress! Keep me updated and let me know how things are going for you! :-)

When doing these do you also raise your arms and how many do you do at a time?

unfortunately, my arms are still "sleeping" hehe. You can do them without raising your arms or have somebody hold them for you. I usually do 20... if I can make it to that without falling asleep LOL. When I first started out I could only do 10 and I was exhausted! Sometimes I do them during commercials too. Usually I do them at nighttime tho. :-)